Jan Markell’s Insights Into Israel: Hope for the Middle East

Can the Jews still be saved under the Mosaic Law apart from Christ?

To answer this and many other questions concerning Israel in Bible prophecy, we invited as a special guest on our television program Christ in Prophecy radio host Jan Markell of Olive Tree Ministries, located in the Minneapolis, Minnesota area. Jan’s “Understanding the Times” radio program broadcasts nationally on more than 800 radio stations! Being a Messianic Jew, Jan holds many unique insights into God’s prophetic plan for the nation of Israel.

Dual Covenant Disaster

Nathan Jones: Let’s discuss Dual Covenant Theology. Do the Jews need Jesus as their Messiah, or do they remain under the Mosaic Law and so are already saved?

Jan Markell: Everyone needs Jesus as their Messiah, both Jew and Gentile. I’m not sure how old Dual Covenant is, but those who support this view teach that the Jews remain saved under various Old Testament covenants and by following the Mosaic Law. Some prominent theologians push this teaching today. One of the most prominent is headquarters out of the Minneapolis-St. Paul area, and I know him quite well. He’s confronted regularly about this false teaching.

I believe Dual Covenant Theology stands out as the worse form of anti-Semitism, for by telling the Jews they don’t need Jesus in order to be saved, it’s instead keeping them out of Heaven.

Jan Markell: Loving the Jew to death. I actually recorded a radio program titled that.

Dr. Reagan: Dual Covenant Theology is so misguided.

Jan Markell: It’s not doing anybody any favor to tell a person they don’t need Jesus. What do you do then with John 14:6 and other verses which teach Christ alone in necessary in order to be saved?

Nathan Jones: The Jews don’t even have a Temple to sacrifice in, so no covering for their sins remains through sacrifices being offered. The key ritual from the Mosaic Law for covering ones sins does not even exist anymore.

Jan Markell: That’s true. Certainly there’s activity going on in Jerusalem to build the Third Temple, but we’re obviously not there yet.

Christian Palestinianism Misnomer

Dr. Reagan: A new movement has risen called Christian Palestinianism. What in the world is that?

Jan Markell: Christian Palestinianists claim that Jesus was a Palestinian. Some 15 years ago, PLO Leader Yasser Arafat climbed down from a helicopter, either on top of the Church of the Nativity or the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, and dropped onto a cross. This act was supposed to symbolize the Rapture. He attempted to get Christians to refocus their attention off of Israel and on to the Palestinian cause.

I do believe we need to be concerned about the Palestinians who are Christians. But, for the Church to turn from supporting God’s work to and through Israel to instead supporting those Arabs who call themselves Palestinians, well this is all a part of the Christian Palestinianism Movement.

Dr. Reagan: One of the main teachings that disturbs me about this movement is that the leaders among the Palestinians are taking the position that Jesus was a Palestinian and that the Jewish temples never existed. Never existed! In fact, Yasser Arafat placed them over in Yemen or some other place, but claimed the Temples never existed in Jerusalem. The latest falsehood I ran across involves a major Palestinian academic who is claiming that the people who actually came out of Egypt under the leadership of Moses were Palestinian Muslims, and Moses himself was a Muslim. A Muslim Moses!

Jan Markell: The tragedy of this all is how some of the churches have bought into this lie. They’ve accepted Palestinian propaganda as fact.

Nathan Jones: Even though history affirms Islam wasn’t even created until about 600 AD, these churches are falling for the false belief that Islam dates back nearly 2,000 years earlier.

Dr. Reagan: Christian Palestinianists even claim that Abraham was a Muslim!

Jan Markell: What fake news! And yet, sadly, these false teachings have caught on, though thankfully not in all of our churches and denominations, but in way too many.

Hope for the Middle East

Nathan Jones: Is any hope for the Middle East? After all, the Jews and Arabs have been fighting for thousands of years. Will this family feud ever end?

Jan Markell: Is there any hope for peace? No, not until the Prince of Peace rules and reigns out of Jerusalem, then there will be hope for peace. Otherwise, the Arab community is singing the Psalm out of Psalm 83, “come let us wipe out the memory of their existence,” which inevitably will lead to the fulfillment of this prophetic war.

Dr. Reagan: That the Jews and Arabs will have no peace until the Prince of Peace comes has me concerned about President Trump. He’s been known to say, “I’m the greatest deal maker ever. I will settle the situation in the Middle East.” Not understanding Bible prophecy, he is deluded if he thinks so.

I’d imagine what will happen is this, based on historical precedent. President Trump will enter into Middle East peace talks and try to get both sides to negotiate. The Palestinians as always will dig in and stubbornly say, “We’re not giving up anything!” Then all the pressure will be put on Israel, as always. And, if the Israelis draw the line and say no, then Trump will turn against Israel in order to save face.

Jan Markell: We need to be praying that won’t happen, because then the Genesis 12 curses will come back on America, just as they did during the Obama Administration with his anti-Israel behavior.

Dr. Reagan: Jan, I want to underline what you just said. There is no hope for peace in the Middle East because it is not a political problem, rather it is a spiritual problem. Peace in our day will only truly be solved when the Prince of Peace returns.

Jan Markell: Yes, and that may be sooner rather than later. Nonetheless, in the meantime, we have president after president making every attempt at brokering Middle East peace. Look at the Oslo Accords and many Camp David meetings. They just go on and on with no resolution in sight.

Keep in mind, in the year 2000, Yasser Arafat was offered 95% of what he wanted, but he turned it all down. He walked right out of the meeting, flew back to the Middle East, and returned a hero for turning peace down. The Arabs don’t want peace. They don’t want to cooperate. They don’t even want a second Palestinian state, with the first Palestinian state being Jordan. No, Islam craves the annihilation of Israel. They don’t want Palestinian lands, they desire the entire area called Israel.

Dr. Reagan: That kind of mentality cannot be negotiated with.

Nathan Jones: How ironic that when the Iranians build nuclear weapons and proudly proclaim their desire to wipe Israel off the map, in the same breath they extol the plight of the Palestinian people. Well, if they nuked Israel, they’d wipe out the Palestinian people as well. No, the Middle East holds no real love for the Palestinian peoples. To them, they’re just disposable tools.

I have a question regarding the dual covenant. It is actually related to two scriptures. The first one is in Luke 19.:37- Then, as He was now drawing near the descent of the Mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works they had seen, 38 saying:“Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord!’ Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!”

Two places in the Bible glory in the highest is used….. the other time was announcing Jesus birth to the shepherds. Luke 2:14. The first time it was used brought peace on earth, and as Jesus was entering the city for His final week…. It was peace in heaven. The Messiah had come as promised.

As Jesus died on the cross as recorded in Matthew 27:51 -53 the bodies of many holy people came out of the tombs, and after Jesus resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many people.

Do you have any thoughts on this. I can’t help but wonder if this was significant as far as the way God’s plan for redeeming people changed at that point….. we have Jesus death, burial and resurrection from the empty tomb onward…

Jeanne, so good to hear Lamb & Lion Ministries has been a blessing to you.

One view states that at Jesus’ crucifixion, according to Matthew 27:53, those handful of Old Testament saints who came back to life “went into the holy city and appeared to many people.” Like Jesus’ other miracles of bringing people back from the dead, these resurrected people lived on in their earthly bodies on earth until their next natural death. They did not resurrect and then go to Heaven, because Jesus was the true and only “firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep” as 1 Corinthians 15:20 declares.

Also, during Jesus’ ministry, each person He raised back to life, like Lazarus (Jn. 11:43-44), Jairus’ daughter (Lk. 8:52-56) and the widow of Nain’s son (Lk. 7:13-15) all lived normal lifespans to die once again.

Then there are are those who believe the people who were resurrected with Jesus had glorified bodies and only spent some time in Jerusalem before ascending to Heaven when Jesus did. While their ascension timing is only speculative, it would add to the numbers along with Jesus being the fulfillment of the Feast of the Firstfruits mentioned in Lev. 23:10-14. As a token of the coming harvest, the people would bring a handful of grain to the priest. Jesus and the others resurrected then would be that Firstfruit offering, with the main harvest being the Rapture to come and the leftover Gleanings those who will believe and die during the upcoming 7-year Tribulation.

Both views are viable. I take the first one because I feel the weight of the evidence falls to Jesus being the only firstfruit offering, as He gets all the glory.

Excellent, thank you. I am amazed at the stupidity of people. Thank you for bringing in clear clean reasoning. Doesn’t seem like there’s much of that around any more. Blessings and prayers for the peace of Jerusalem…..and your ministry.

Just remember that although Esau sold his birthright, he stilled blamed Jacob deceived him and stole not only the birthright, he also stole the blessing. The same problem today and they are still trying to get it back. God bless Israel. God gave Esau and Ishmael land.

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Lamb & Lion Ministries was established for the purpose of proclaiming the soon return of Jesus. We do not believe it is possible to know the date when Jesus will return. But we do believe it is possible to know the season of the Lord's return, and it is our conviction that we are living in that season...